Want To Boost Your Productivity? Here Are 8 Reasons You Should Write Things Down

The task of writing things down may seem almost too simple to offer any real assistance, but often it’s one of the most the simple things you can do to provide yourself with the most benefit. When you are constantly remembering things that need to get done, and then forgetting, it causes unnecessary stress in your mind.

Writing things down helps you get all of those ideas that have been taking up so much space in your mind out of your head and albeit, onto paper. Then you can refer to this paper and cross things off as you go. Does anything feel better than crossing things off of a list? Not in my books, it feels great.

While there are many benefits to writing things down, here are the top 8 that have helped me tremendously with, not only getting organized, motivated and productive, but also to assist me with goal setting, processing my emotions and getting clear on what it is I want and how I’m going to make it happen.

1. Writing Things Down Provides A Record Of Everything That Is Holding Your Attention

Nowadays, us humans are bombarded with so many things we need to do, back in the day, we could simply remember our daily tasks so there was little need for a pencil or pen. Often, we can feel overwhelmed from experiencing information overload the point where we simply forget what needs to get done. When we later remember, sometimes it’s too late and that can cause even more stress from not completing the said task.

By simply making yourself a list of tasks each morning that you would like to complete, you can have a separate one (list) for personal things and one for work related tasks, which gives you a very clear visual representation of what needs to get done. To take it one step further you can make a prioritized list of your tasks and aim to get the most important ones crossed off first.

2. Writing Things Down Will Clear Up Space In Your Mind

As mentioned above, if nothing else, writing things down helps get all of these thoughts and ideas out of your head and onto paper. This can be beneficial for all areas in your life — work, personal, relationships you name it. The art of journaling is an amazing practice to assist you with the daily stresses, worries, desires and all of that stuff that may otherwise continue taking up space and focus in your brain. Getting it out on paper is literally like taking it out of your head and placing it on the paper and does wonders for over thinking and stress.

3. Writing Things Down Will Help Keep You Motivated

No matter how motivated we are at times, it is likely that this isn’t always the case. When you have your list each day, and maybe even a list of your goals, dreams and desires, being able to reflect back to this list is sure to keep you motivated.

4. Writing Things Down Encourages Daily Progress

Again, if you write things down daily, or prefer to plan out your whole week at a time, this will encourage daily progress. You get started on your day, refer to your list or notes and get to work. There is no wondering which is most important or trying to remember all of the things you have to get done. You simply look at your notebook, paper, whatever it may be and get started on your day, stress free.

5. Writing Things Down Helps You To Effectively Recognize And Process Your Emotions

I really can’t stress this one enough… keeping a journal has been a catalyst for some pretty major breakthroughs, specifically regarding stagnancy in my life. This is such a simple task that provides so much benefit. How does this work? Literally, just pick up a pen and paper and start writing, anything that comes to mind, anything that you’ve always wanted to get done.

Your thoughts may include: “I hate this, this is dumb, why am I doing this” but just keep going. Eventually, some thoughts and feelings are sure to emerge that can be of assistance to you. Again, getting these thoughts out of your head and onto paper is an extremely cathartic process. Once you write these thoughts down they seem to become emotions on the paper, and alleviates you from worrying, stressing, wondering, or trying to figure out what you need to do. This practice is highly recommended by many, and you can read more about the benefits of keeping a journal here.

What is it that you want? I’m sure that you have thought about this a lot, and perhaps even stewed over it in your mind. So, not to be redundant, but how about writing those goals and intentions down on paper? By now I’m assuming that you understand the benefit to this and how helpful it can be.

7. Nothing Feels Better Than Crossing A Task Off A List

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, that sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and pride that comes along with drawing that line through the completed tasks on your list, whether it’s work or personal is great. Hooray! It’s not quite the same as deleting something from a note on your cell phone, but accomplishing things always feels good. At the end of the day, you’ve crossed off everything on your list, then there is an unparalleled sense of freedom. If you haven’t, well, how handy — you already have the beginning of your list for the next day, laid out right there for you.

8. Writing Things Down Sets An Intention

Much like affirmations or mantras that are spoken out loud, writing things down can set a powerful intention into the universe. This is why it can be good for goal setting and getting clear on what it is you want for yourself. Writing something down is like setting out exactly what you want and what you are striving to achieve. To some, this may sound a little fluffy, but there is real magic in setting intentions. Writing can be a perfect catalyst for this.

As the shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis once said,

“Always carry a notebook. Write everything down… That is a million dollar lesson they don’t teach you in business school!”

“If you are willing to do what is absolutely necessary and get into the thing you fear most … magic can happen.”

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2 months ago

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Phil

I don’t do that anymore. It is actually conterproductive, I found. Much easier and much more efficient is to get a clear picture in your mind and use the ancient Greece Loci method. That will cure you from the to-do-lists obssession.

Sometimes I use them. Sometimes I don’t. When I have a lot of different things on my plate for a day, I tend to write it all down. I think it is good for people of a certain disposition. Not really a one size fits all.